This invention relates to an automatic apparatus for packing fruit into successive boxes and, more particularly, relates to the type of apparatus that is disclosed in the Riddington U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,551 entitled AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR PACKING ARTICLES IN BOXES, and the Paddock et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,942 entitled MEANS TO GUIDE A LAYER OF OBJECTS INTO A BOX.
Both of the above noted patents utilize a chute structure for guiding the objects or fruit into a box of a predetermined depth, and as presently arranged, the chutes will not operatively cooperate with boxes of lesser depth, as where it is desired to make a run of so-called "half packs".
According to the present invention, it is proposed to provide object packaging apparatus in which the elevated position of the chute may be varied so as to permit greater versatility of the packaging apparatus, wherein the same apparatus may be adjusted for making a run of so-called "full pack" boxes of greater depth, and by making slight adjustments may be utilized for runs of "half pack" boxes of lesser depth.
This desirable feature is obtained by mounting the chute structure on a vertically adjustable platform which permits the chute to be variably adjusted to a proper operative position dependent upon the depth of box that is to be used for the pack.